AIBU to think NCT classes are a waste of time & money?

[LittlePeaPod]

Am I been unreasonable to think NCT classes are a waste of time and money after only attending the first session and the only reason I should go back is to get to know the other new mums to be because they all seem like a really nice bunch of ladies.

Attended our first NCT session last night and I have to say I was really disappointed in the class. The two and a half hour session was boring and verging on condescending. The activities can only be compared to those crappy training activities you get in crappy work based training sessions. The MW is clearly pro natural birth with no intervention what's so ever including any form of pain relief and her method of trying to scare the new mums into following her path was crap IMHO. For example she proclaimed swaddling new borns has been linked to cot deaths! When I asked her to give us some facts so we could understand what exactly the risk associated to swaddling is, she couldn't. [Hmm] The breast feeding guilt trip started last night please don't got me wrong i understand the benefits of breast feeding a new born She clearly hasn't considered that there may be mums in the group that will struggle with breast feeding and they way she went on anyone that does struggle will feel like a failure and like they are letting their baby down this goes for anything other than a VB with no pain relief too

I am a logical person and it frustrated me that the MW didn't seem able to back her statements up with actual facts. She just blubbed scary shit and there was no opportunity for real discussion. Either she is not used to people asking questions or she was just trying to frighten us into following the path that she did when she had her children. So much for giving new mums to be the relevant unbiased information so we can prepare for the birth / post birth including what could go wrong and god forbid anything does go wrong we can at least be informed so we can make decisions quickly. If last nights session is a sign of things to come I think the MW is going to get a shock because I won't be able to sit there and just nod!

I understand at 29 weeks pregnant I can be a bit unreasonable sometimes. So please ladies AIBU?

[Blissx]

Is it only me that feels that if you pay £250 to go to NCT classes, then they should at least follow a uniform non-judgemental programme, rather than getting "pot luck" depending on who you get? £250 is an awful lot to spend on pot luck.

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

I actually think it would have been more honest of them to keep the word "Natural" in their name (in the 60s), or even revert to it now.
They could still aim to cover all aspects of pain relief and all pathways and outcomes of labour, also addressing different problems that can be encountered in breastfeeding and their solutions, including sometimes ff.
But it would be more honest IMHO to declare their agenda and allow women to make an informed choice about whether or not to go to their classes as well !

[sashh]

Go watch Dara O'Briain's act about NCT, get all the emails and don't go back.

[Rinoachicken]

I'm really interested to read this thread as I am having my second baby in December and am starting an NCT course in a few weeks.

With my first I didn't bother with NCT and DH and I went to the hospital led one which was fine except I had SPD so when the rest of the group went upstairs for 'the tour' I was advised to stay behind!

I joined NCT this time mainly because they offer a 'refresher course' which suits my needs better and because I really struggled making connections with local mums last time and want to try and make more effort this time, and the mums on this course will all be 2nd + time mums so will be in similar situation to myself re having other DC at home.

On a low income so didn't have to pay full whack for the course and it's only four sessions so if it's awful it's not too long to endure!

[Oriunda]

Our NCT class leader prepared us for any c-sections by having one of the guys lie down and the rest of us took our positions as surgeon, anaesthetists etc so we understood how many people would be in the room. Just as well because of 9 women, 3 of us had emcs and 1 had a breech elcs. Course was great and we still meet up every week.

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

Yeh, I've seen Dara on subject of NCT sashh
Was amusing, but also think his POV is influenced by being married to a doctor (possibly a GP or is it obstetrician?)
NCT are good at being somewhat challenging of the medical profession (IMO)

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

"challenging of the medical profession" - or at least the medical approach to childbirth

[Coupon]

YANBU. I'm not a fan of the NCT's dogmatic, inflexible approach.

[BenNJerry]

Meh, I didn't bother going to any of those classes. Aside from the fact I don't have that kind of money to spare, I don't think you can really "prepare" for birth as you never know what to expect. I just went online and read about the different ways of birth. I wanted all natural, no pain relief and ended up having forceps anyway.

[Stepmooster]

Before I gave birth to DC1 I was petrified of giving birth. Our hospital course had a preachy midwife telling us we'd be fools to try natural birth and we'd all be demanding epidurals and CS. I was praying for a CS.

I did the NCT course and found it beneficial to go through the mechanics of labour, complete with model pelvis and baby and listen to a mother talk about childbirth without making it a horror story.

I also felt empowered by my nct instructor to give birth kneeling on the bed and not lying down. I'd never have thought to try that position and it was a heck of a lot less painful than being on my back as midwife tried to get me to do. I felt in control of my birth, because the NCT had enmpowered me. They certainly didn't criticise pain relief and went through all options and pro ands cons.

The NCT did good lesson on bathing and nappy change. The dolls were covered in mustard and cottage cheese. I'd never changed a nappy before then. All the dads had to bathe the dolls and they were so hopeless (gave them insight). Plus great lecture on how to take care of any birth injuries, tears, stitches CS.

Our hospital pushes BF much more than NCT ever did. With DC1 she ended up in neonatal and I was in tears trying to BF and was made to feel I'd be letting baby down if I FF. Thing is I ended up BF both children and if they'd handed me a bottle on my first request I would have abandoned BF. I choose to believe Breast is best and I'm actually glad the old battle axe at the hospital forced me to continue BF.

[propertyNIGHTmareBEFOREXMAS]

They are a good way of meeting other new mums to go out and hAve tea and cake with. I would recommend for that reason alone.

[MrsMarigold]

I did two courses both NCT, first one I made some great friends and the second one was very useful on coping with more than one child.

I would recommend it although I found the first lot of classes focused too much on the birth and not enough on how life-changing having a baby is and the practical stuff. The birth whether good or bad is an inevitability coping afterwards is far tougher imho.

[Bubbles1066]

I've heard it called the nasty childbirth trust more than once. I did bog standard NHS. Free, fair (talked about all delivery types) and the feeding sessions were good too. There was one just on BF and one on both methods so you got FF and mixed feeding advice too which is important for baby's safety as many people who struggle with BF can be clueless about safely making up formula otherwise.

[LittlePeaPod]

I must admit I was naive to think that the NCT even though I suspected they would favour VBs would be more professional as an organisation. My view thus far is its very armature and I am all for them challenging medical advice. But how do I take a non medically trained person serious if they are unable to provide evidence/facts to support what they are saying. It smacks of "parrot fashion training". Real off what you have been told to say or believe with no bases or facts to help the delegates understand/consider what you say properly. God or bid if they ask/challenge your views!

Allbottle with regards my DHs thoughts. He thought it was as crap as I did. We are both very similar and we both except an experienced facilitator to provide us with facts/logic/discussion. He thought the session sometimes verged on intellectually insulting eg facilitator pulled out a load of pregnant women autonomy posters and asked the DHs/DPs etc. to put little stickers on the posters to show they new were things like the woman's nipples, cervix and "yoni" yes yoni etc. were located on a woman's body..

[Worriedthistimearound]

I loved the friendship bit; well worth the £300 IMO. But I found both the NCT and NHS classes very frustrating. I signed up for the NHS ones because they were called parentcraft, only to find out they were nothing to do with bring a parent and all about labour and birth.

I had already researched that bit extensively. Talked through every possible intervention with DH and how I felt about tearing Vs cutting etc. plus I'd prepared him that it would be very messy, that I'd likely poo and that it may not be as smooth as wed hoped. I was keen to bf but also well aware that latch on could be difficult and may hurt so I had put in place a plan to see a bf helper from the NCT experience register when baby was 1wk old.

I actually felt quite bitter that 'parentcraft' gave me no insight into being a parent. I had totally prepared myself for every eventuality regarding the birth but I had no clue whatsoever about how to parent. These classes would be far more useful in my opinion.

[allbottledup]

OMG PeaPod yoni?!?!?!

Sounds like you've got a bad one. DEFINITELY complain to NCT now. Maybe you can get a refund...

[propertyNIGHTmareBEFOREXMAS]

YONI!

Outrageous. I would have walked.

[HorryIsUpduffed]

The NCT is the main reason the UK has a far more woman-led attitude to childbirth than comparable European countries and particularly the USA. The choices we now have (esp home births, water birth facilities in hospitals, MLUs, etc) and standard procedures such as skin-to-skin and rooming-in are down to their campaigning.

That said, they can be like a dog with a bone if you get the wrong person.

I think you should complain about your facilitator. She is supposed to find out the needs and wants of the group and give information about those things - so if someone in the group is having a planned section you'd have more time spent on sections; if someone can't bf for medication reasons you'd spend more time on safe preparation of formula, etc etc. She is simply not doing her job properly and needs to be told.

[outragedofsuburbia]

Little peapod - Everything an NCT practitioner tells clients is supposed to be evidence based. The training for a qualified Antenatal Teacher takes about 2.5-5 years PT and is not learning anything parrot fashion at all. They do not tell practitioners what to say. Each practitioner comes from her own place and makes her own decisions what to say about things. There is no fixed agenda either. It is much much more flexible than that. That is why, if you are a good facilitator, it can be a really hard job. Personally I love being challenged. Much better than clients all just sitting there saying nowt.

I have to defend the placing the labels on the diagram of the woman thing. I do that. I do not use the word Yoni though FFS. Never heard of that and it is awful. Vagina all the way here! It is necessary because so many clients do not know where these things are on a woman's body. You would not believe where one group put the bladder! There is not point talking about the importance of emptying the bladder in labour if half the group have no clue where it is.

[LittlePeaPod]

allbottle yes Yoni . I think I will send an email to NCT asking what it is I should expect from these classes.


worriedthistime I couldn't agree more. It would be great if parenting sessions were included to help new parents like DH and I prepare a bit better/more. I can't say whether or not these NCT sessions will be included in this NCT class, I can only wait and hope!

[Sanjifair]

My NCT course was informative, had no agenda (apart from bigging up the more local hospital over the bigger, well thought of one most of us were going to) and did change the course of my labour. One of the key things that the teacher drilled into us was to ask lots of questions and challenge decisions being made if you didn't like the way things were heading. I would have been given an 'EMCS' if I hadn't challenged the rationale and asked if there was another option. I would not have had the confidence to have done that if I hadn't done the course. I went on to have a natural delivery.

I also regularly see the ladies and children 3 years later. So for me it was worth it.

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

Yes, our hospital classes were called parentcraft too and I really only barely remember them mentioning we'd get a baby at the end of it all!
Maybe they thought we were too dim to understand the word "ante-natal"

[LittlePeaPod]

Outrage like I said before, its great to hear some of the other good experiences from the ladies on the thread. Personally I really believe this facilitator is leaving the group with a very poor view of NCT classes and making the NCT look like an armature organisation. I can see where you are coming from with the anatomy point but seriously spending half an hour getting adult men and one woman sticking stickers on posters is not really that valuable. Surely that session if needed can take less that 5 at most 10 minutes. My DH said he felt like pulling his on teeth out at one point.

[LittlePeaPod]

# Juggling

[makemineabacardi]

There were no NHS classes available in my area so NCT it was (and we couldn't really afford it). The classes themselves were only ok - run by a midwife who was lovely but I'm not sure how much preparation classroom sessions can really give you for birth/those zombie early days.

I still see my NCT lot (I'm not classy enough to call them girls ) 3 years later on a regular basis and all 7 of them are lovely.

Dara O'Brien's sketch is funny but until he starts pushing babies out of his vagina I'll take his opinion with a pinch of salt.